Monday, January 7, 2013

Church Planting (Keller)

I listened to an mp3 by Tim Keller on "Church Planting".  In it he said the following:

The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for the numerical growth of the body of Christ in the city, the continual corporate renewal and revival of all the existing churches.  Nothing else, not crusades, not outreach programs, not parachurch ministries, not growing big old fashion mega churches.

Then he listed 4 basic reasons why vigorous church planting is important:

1) want to be true to Biblical mandate
2) true to Great Commission
3) we are committed to renewing existing church of the city
4) church planting is an exercise of Kingdom-mindedness

"Every local church should have a church planting ministry and/or be involved in church planting" - Tim Keller


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

An Evening of Eschatology (Piper, Hamilton, Storms, Wilson)


At church this past year we finished going through a series titled "40 Days of Hope for Hamilton - Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven"

There was a special two night course that Lane and Mike organized on "end times" and they referred to this discussion titled "An Evening of Eschatology".  For me it was a great introduction to the following 3 views:

Premillennialism (represented by Jim Hamilton): The return of Christ happens before (pre-) the thousand-year reign of Christ, which is a reign of the risen Christ on the earth.

Photo below of "Dispensational Premillennialism":









Photo below of "Historic Premillennialism":










Amillennialism (represented by Sam Storms): The return of Christ happens after the thousand-year reign, a reign that occurs in heaven, in the intermediate state, and not upon the earth. Those who have died in faith and entered into the presence of Christ share his rule and reign during the current church age in which we now live.













Postmillennialism
(represented by Doug Wilson): The return of Christ happens after (post-) the thousand-year reign, which corresponds to the Christian age, and the reign of Christ from heaven leads the church to triumph by and through the gospel to such an extent that the Great Commission will be successfully fulfilled, and the Christian faith will pervade all the cultures of all the nations of men. All Christ's enemies will be subdued in this way, with the exception of death, which he will destroy by his coming.













The question that kept arising was what does "this age" refer to and what's "the age to come" (Matt 12:32, Mark 10:30, Eph 1:21).

Post millennials would generally say that in 30-70 AD there was an overlap and "the age to come" started in 70A.  Premillennials would generally say that the "Millennial Kingdom" is part of this age and then there is "the age to come"

One of the panelists said this:
"Jesus dies not so we might live.  Jesus died so we might die.  Jesus lives so that we might live!"

Note that Isaiah 65 says that people die in new heavens and new earth (this is a problem text for Post Mill people)



Sam Storms believes Satan is currently bound from deceiving the nations but he can tempt and persecute.
Post Millennial (Doug Wilson) agrees.


Sam Storms - doesn't like the "amill" title but that's what he believes.  He believes the "thousand year reign" is real and in heaven right now.  Those are the saints in Rev 20:4-6 reigning.  Sam Storms is post-millennial in that Christ returns after the thousand year reign, but he thinks the thousand year reign is in heaven right now.

Sam Storms (amill) agrees with Jim Hamilton (premill) that there will be intense suffering in the end, which Post Millennials can't explain.

Another big question that is debated is "When does physical death die?"
Sam Storms says that it dies at the second coming of Jesus (see 1 Cor 15:50-58 and Romans 8 where the curse is lifted from earth simultaneously with when curse is lifted from man).


Storms says the second coming of Christ is the resurrection of good and evil, and also the final judgement of good and evil.  The second coming terminates all possibility of being saved.

Other passages to consider:
Rev 12:7-12, 13-17. (Jim Hamilton believes this is the cosmic destruction of Satan whereas Sam Storms thinks this is different symbolism and 2 aspects of Christ's victory).
Rev 12-13 Satan makes war on the church
2 Cor 4:4
1 Peter 5
1 John 5:19
Rev 20:1-3
Rev 6 and 20, 2:11 Sam Storms believes this is physical martyrs come to life in intermediate state and 2nd death has no authority over them.

Other important notes:
- time references in Revelation include 42 months, 1000 yrs, etc (note Nero literally reigned 42 months).
- the Post Millennial view requires that Revelation was written before 70 AD which is debated.


The biggest problems for each position are:

for Amill = meaning of anostraphis in Rev 20:6
for Premill = getting natural bodies and unbelievers into Millennial kingdom
for Post Mill = harmonizing 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and 2 Thessalonians.

Evangelism in a Post Modern World (Keller)

I listened to a message by Tim Keller titled "Evangelism in a Post Modern World".  He gave a good reminder that there is no "magic bullet".  He also stated that the 4 Spiritual Laws are good in systematic theology but are individualistic.  Keller stated that the emerging church emphasizes more the Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration story (which is good biblical theology). But he said this can leave out the "my chains fell off, I rose went forth and followed Thee" aspect.  Keller didn't really have a "solution" or "best practice".  He did provide this quote from

"Thou art coming to a King.
Large petitions with Thee bring.
For His grace and power are such.
None can ever ask too much."
- John Newton

Foundations - Scriptural Principles Undergirding SIM (Hay)

Karen had this book written by Ian Hay in 1988 when he was the General Director of SIM International. So I decided to read it. On the opening page he dedicates the book... 
"To the missionaries of SIM International past and present, whose devotion to Christ and His commission have laid a sound base for SIM ministries"
Then he begins
"There are no unreachable people, only the unreached.  The task is not impossible, but it requires total obedience on our part...It is imperative that a fresh group of totally committed missionaries be found to meet today's challenges" (pg 19)
When I read the first line about no unreachable people I said "AMEN"!  Then I read about a "fresh group of totally committed missionaries" and said "am I supposed to be one of them"?

One aspect of SIM that I appreciate is their focus on metting spiritual AND physical needs while understanding the balance outlined in this next quote.
"Relieving hunger, attacking social evils, providing fine education, and other such efforts, although they are important and valid aspects of our church planting efforts, can not by themselves achieve God's purposes for mankind." (pg 26)
Plus SIM realizes more than just evangelism is required...
"The Mission quickly learned that Christ's total commission demands more than evangelism.  To bring people to new birth through evangelism and to stop at that point is to follow a truncated commission.  Discipling - teaching "them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20) - is crucial." (pg 29)
I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this quote:
"God's basic pattern for missionary responsibility has not changed.  It resides in the church, which has the authority for missionary outreach.  The responsibility and authority, however, is delegated by the local church tot he mission society, which becomes the agency for missionary outreach.  The mission society, in turn, is accountable to the sending church.  Thus the full cycle of true delegation is maintained. There are those who question the validity of mission societies such as SIM.  They state that such organizations are an accident of history, existing only because the church failed, and as a result God raised up societies to get the task done.  SIM does not agree with this line of reasoning." (pg 43)
I'm still not sure about this, because I've heard the saying "if the local church had been doing its job we wouldn't need mission agencies" and I partially agree.  I realize they are very important and valuable nonetheless.

Here's a good Rowland Bingham quote:
"It is not my 'mighty faith' but my little faith in a mighty God.  God, and God alone is my confidence today" (pg 50)
And finally a quote on money:
"We inform God's people of the Mission's needs...  Some people question the element of faith in this principle... There is no questions in my mind that god led such giants of the faith as Hudson Taylor and George Mueller in their decisions that He alone should be informed of their needs.  Certainly that is not inconsistent with Scripture, but clearly it is not the only Biblical way of exercising faith as it relates to financial stewardship. The apostle Paul was explicit in what he had to say about giving.  One one occasion he sent Titus and another brother to Corinth to collect funds for the needy in Jerusalem.  Nothing could be more forthright that the appeal he made and the instructions he gave in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9." (pg 53)

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Threads - The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Platt)


In July 2008 David Platt did a series called "Threads - The Gospel and Personal Evangelism" at his church.  In the summer of 2012 I listened to these 4 mp3 sermons (linked here) and was challenged.  Here are my notes.

In Romans 1 the word "apostles" is a broader term used elsewhere.

Platt defines the Gospel as "The good news that the just and gracious God of the universe looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to bear His wrath against sin on the cross to show His power over sin in the resurrection so that all who have faith in Him will be reconciled to God forever."

"unhindered" = the last word in Acts in the Greek

You are not calling people to embrace truths you are calling them to embrace a person - Christ!  You are not calling them to adopt your religion, you are calling people to be adopted into a relationship... The goal is disciples not decisions.

There are 5 major points he makes: God, Sinful Man, Christ, Necessity of Faith, Urgency of Eternity

Practical Applications re God 
- Creator and Judge
- acknowledge to others that God has made all (ie sunset, baby, stars, etc)
- acknowledge ways God is gracious to you

Practical Applications re Sinful Man
- acknowledge you want justice in a sinful world
- acknowledge you are sinful (ie "Daddy is prone to sin too")

Practical Applications re Christ
- speak with hope
- speak about death with joy
- when's the last time you told someone of Jesus' death and resurrection
- tell others of Jesus' work in your life

Practical Applications re Necessity of Faith
- tell your story of faith
- don't say "Good luck"
- point people to the Lordship of Christ, but tell people to "make" Christ Lord of their lives (He already is Lord over all)
- urge and call people to trust Christ

Practical Applications re Urgency of Eternity
- minimize talk of temporal matters
- talk about hell with humility
- talk about being with God with hope
- remind others that dying is gain